248 THE GROUSE 



be shot in the autumn, for though they 

 become infertile after a few years, it is 

 impossible to discriminate between barren 

 hens and the future mothers of families. 1 

 A single bird sails over the tall firs 

 behind which you are standing — another 

 greyhen — no, a young blackcock — but 

 you were too long making up your mind, 

 and though you struck him hard with 

 both barrels after he had passed — hard 

 enough to have brought down any bird, 

 you would have thought — still he would 

 have passed out of sight, and perhaps 

 carried on for miles, had your neighbour 

 not brought him down with a beautiful 

 long crossing shot, just as he was topping 

 the trees on the far side of the clearing. 

 He supplements this kind attention with 

 a splendid double shot from a big lot that 

 come between you, out of which you 

 manage to get one too, though it takes 

 both barrels to dispose of him finally, 



1 Mr. Millais recommends, in his Natural History of 

 British Game Birds, that all greyhens attending the "lek," 

 or playing ground, after the middle of May should be 

 destroyed, for by then all productive hens will be nesting. 



